I won: Gee, I just noticed I won FishBowlNY’s “When will SpotBit Be Shut Down” Contest. However, I think it’s just because I’m friends with the judge.

Technorati Tags: magazines

So dark the con of Mac: Is it merely a coincidence that the Fifth Ave. Apple Store is opening the same night as The Da Vinci Code? After seeing the movie, I think I’ve unraveled the DaApple Code, proving the movie is filled with hidden references to the Fifth Avenue Apple store — or is it vice versa? First, the movie makes a big deal about large glass geometric shapes floating over subterranean galleries. And then, right at a pivotal point in the movie, Tom Hank turns to his co-star and, well, I can’t spoil it for you, but he spells out the connection.

Speaking of the Fifth Ave. Apple Store, Khoi Vinh observes that the store looks great, but really stinks. Really stinks. Which, come to think of it, is another way the store is similar to the movie.

Technorati Tags: apple

XM reaching out to its customers regarding record industry weasels: Oops. Did I just call the record industry a bunch of weasels? Let me clarify myself: I am sure as human beings, they are swell folks. Heck, the rexblog HQ is located in an office building that has, on its top floor, one of Nashville’s best known record labels — everyone I see on the elevator who works there seems like a really swell person. However, their industry trade association is forever doing things that only a bunch of clueless weasels would do: Like suing XM for offering a way for listeners to time-shift programs is something only weasels would do. XM radio subscribers (I am one, however, it’s not for me but for an offspring who listens to bluegrass music) got yesterday the following “statement” from the company. (Too bad XM doesn’t have a way to link to the statement so I could send some link-love their way. Too bad they don’t have a blog so they’d have a platform to blast the RIAA on it in precisely the same way they’re doing in the following e-mail.)

*Statement to XM Subscribers - The XM Nation*

Everything we’ve done at XM since our first minute on the air is about giving you more choices. We provide more channels and music programming than any other network. We play all the music you want to hear including the artists you want to hear but can’t find on traditional FM radio. And we offer the best radios with the features you want for your cars, homes, and all places in between.

We’ve developed new radios — the Inno, Helix and NeXus — that take innovation to the next level in a totally legal way. Like TiVo, these devices give you the ability to enjoy the sports, talk and music programming /whenever/ you want. And because they are portable, you can enjoy XM /wherever/ you want.

The music industry wants to stop your ability to choose when and where you can listen. Their lawyers have filed a meritless lawsuit to try and stop you from enjoying these radios.

They don’t get it. These devices are clearly legal. Consumers have enjoyed the right to tape off the air for their personal use for decades, from reel-to-reel and the cassette to the VCR and TiVo.

Our new radios complement download services, they don’t replace them. If you want a copy of a song to transfer to other players or burn onto CDs, we make it easy for you to buy them through XM + Napster.

Satellite radio subscribers like you are law-abiding music consumers; a portion of your subscriber fee pays royalties directly to artists. Instead of going after pirates who don’t pay a cent, the record labels are attacking the radios used for the enjoyment of music by consumers like you. It’s misguided and wrong.

We will vigorously defend these radios and your right to enjoy them in court and before Congress, and we expect to win.

Thank you for your support.

(Thanks, Bill Hudgins)

Technorati Tags: riaa, xm

Bye-bye SpotBit: I’ll let Dylan at FishBowlNY explain: “Well, the dream’s over. SpotBit.com, the Web site we had been monitoring since we first learned of it earlier this week, is no longer offering inexplicably free PDF downloads of hundreds of current magazines like Elle, Vogue and Vanity Fair.”

The site lasted 72 hours longer than I predicted.

Location, location and kittens: VC Rick Segal says (from Canada): “I’ve got nothing against Silicon Valley start ups or Venture Capitalist who feed there. Heck, I look to most of those VC guys for advice and guidance on many things. But when you look at the connected world we live in today, look at all the problems looking for solutions, and look at all the smart people each of are getting exposed to because of blogging, email, forums, etc, you have to ask the obvious question; aren’t there other great places with smart people doing world changing stuff that could use support, exposure, etc? I’m proud to be from my birth country (U.S.A) but there just has to be more out there.”

I was in Chicago yesterday to interview Jason Fried of 37Signals for a story in an upcoming issue of MyBusiness magazine. At lunch, we were discussing relative merits of him being far-removed from Silicon Valley vs. being there. We were in no way bashing the epicenter of the tech startup world, merely noting some of the distractions and mistaken success markers one can be convinced are important if immersed in the startup subculture there.

One of the things I noted (jokingly) was Jason’s ability to stay off the ValleyWag radar screen. So, when arriving home last night, I found it especially funny that ValleyWag had posted an item titled, “Jason Fried is mean to kittens.” (Note: By following the comments and links, we learn that Jason is not mean to kittens. Also, for the record, Jason and I did not discuss kittens.)

Technorati Tags: blogging